Meter closure fastener



July 6, 1937. R w GRACE 2,086,413

METER CLOSURE FAS TENER Original Filed March 1, 1934 Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES METER CLOSURE FASTENER Richard W. Grace, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Superior Switchboard & Devices Company,

Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application March 1, 1934, Serial No.

713,544. Divided and this application Decemher 9, 1935, Serial No. 53,560

3 Claims.

The invention relates to closures or containers for housing electric meters, switches, fuses and the like, and more particularly to a container of this character provided with a removable or hinged lid and means for automatically locking the lid when the same is moved to closed position, and the present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 713,544 for Meter closures, filed March 1, 1934.

The object of the improvement is to provide a closure especially adapted for housing a meter or the like upon the outside of a house or building in such position that the meter may be read without opening the closure, means being provided for automatically locking the lid or cover when the same is closed, a glass or other frangible element being located over the locking device in such posiiton that it is necessary to break the same in order to obtain access to the locking device.

A further object is to provide such a closure including a box member and a cover member with a locking hook pivotally mounted in one of said members, means for normally holding the locking hook directed toward the other member, a keeper in said other member arrange-d to interlock with the locking hook when the cover member is closed upon the box member, a spring for holding the locking hook in locked position, and a frangible element normally closing the only access to said locking hook.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawing and following description, or which may be later pointed out,

7 may be attained by constructing the improved meter closure in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a meter box embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse sectional view through the lower portion of the meter box showing the cover in locked position thereon;

Fig. 3, a similar view showing the frangible element destroyed and a screw driver inserted to release the locking device;

Fig. 4, a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, showing the cover in partly open position;

Fig. 5, a fragmentary section showing the locking device in locked position, taken as on the line 5-5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6, a similar View showing the locking device in unlocked position, taken as on the line 6-6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7, a detail perspective View of the locking spring shown in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive;

Fig. 8, a fragmentary sectional view through the hinge joint at the upper end of the box and cover; and

Fig. 9, a section on the line 9-9, Fig. 2-, showing the frangible element which must be destroyed in order to obtain access to the locking device.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing. 7

The invention is illustrated as applied to a meter box especially adapted for use upon the outside of a building and arranged to house an electric meter in such position that the dials thereof may be read without opening the box. This meter box is preferably made of sheet metal and so constructed as to be waterproof and comprises the box proper indicated generally at lG, which may be provided with the upturned flange H at its upper end at the open side of the box, and the lid or cover 12 shaped to snugly fit over the open end of the box and having at its upper end the depending flange l3 adapted to be lapped over the upturned flange ll of the box to form an open hinged joint at the upper end of the box and cover. v

The cover may be provided in its front face with an opening [4 covered by a panel l5 of glass or the like so positioned as to display-the dials it of the meter i! which is housed within the box so that these dials may be read without the necessity of removing the cover from the box.

Ordinarily boxes of this kind are provided with registering or interengaging ears or the like upon the box and the cover to receive any usual and well known form of seal such as a lock, a

Wire with a slug of lead pressed upon the ends thereof, or the like, which may be placed there.- on by an agent of the power company. Although such a seal may be placed upon the box forming the present invention, the construction 'is'such' that even though this seal is broken by an unauthorized person, access cannot in that way be had to the interior of the box.

The construction to which the invention is more particularly directed is a self-locking device contained Within the box and cover and so constructed that when the cover is moved to closed position it is automatically locked to the box and cannot be unlocked Without breaking a glass or other frangible element covering an aperture through which access may be had to the locking device to release the same.

This locking device may be in the form of a hook plate indicated generally at is, pivoted as at i9 within a sheet metal bracket 29 welded or A lug 2B is also provided upon the hook plate I 58, spaced from the lug 24, for engagement in the slot 2'! of the locking spring 28 as shown in Fig. 2, to hold the hook plate in locked position. The spring 28 is angularly disposed as shown in the drawing and is connected at one end to the inside of the tubular portion 2| of the bracket 22 as by the rivet 29.

An aperture 39 may be formed in the lock plate to receive any usual and well known form of seal if desired, although it should be understood that such seal is not necessary to prevent opening or removal of the cover. 2

When it is desired to close the cover, the hook plate is swung upon its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 4, the hooked end 22 being swung inward and the lug 24 protruded through the slot 25 of the box and into the path of the edge of the lower wall of the cover.

As the cover is moved to closed position, it will contact with the lug 24, as shown in Fig. 4, and further closing movement of the cover will rotate the hook plate upon its pivot i9, swinging the lug 2d upward into the box and the hooked end 22 outward through the slot 23 of the cover to the position shown in Fig. 2.

At the same time, the lug 26 will flex the free end of the spring 28 and pass into the slot 21 thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, thus locking the hook plate 98 against clockwise movement, as viewed in .Fig. 2, so that the cover cannot be opened or removed, until the hook plate is released from engagement with the spring 28, and access thereto can be had only through the opening 3| formed in the cover for this purpose and arranged to be normally closed by a frangible element suchas the sheet of glass 32 which may have any suitable inscription or insignia of the power company thereon so that the same will not be easily replaceable.

This sheet of glass may be slidably located between the front wall of the cover and the guide plate 33 which may be welded or otherwise attached thereto, a screw 34 being provided for retaining the glass in position and preventing its removal without destroying the glass, a lock nut 35 being preferably provided upon said screw.

In order to open the cover it is necessary to destroy the frangible element 32 and insert a screw driver or the like as shown at 36 into the tubular portion 2| of the bracket 20 to raise the spring 28 out of engagement with the lug 26 of the hook plate, as shown in Fig. 3, when an outward pull upon the cover will rotate the hook plate in a clockwise direction, permitting the cover to be opened.

From the above it will be seen that alooking device is provided which automatically locks the meter closure when the cover is closed upon the box, the cover being held in locked position until the frangible element is destroyed and a screw driver or the like inserted through the opening thus provided to release the locking device.

As the frangible element is provided with any desired inscription or insignia of the power com pany, it will be seen that the same'cannot be easily replaced so that any tampering with the meter closure by unauthorized persons will be quickly detected.

I claim:

1. A lock for a closure for meters and the like including a box member and a cover member, one of said members having an opening and a frangible element normally closing said opening, said lock including a hook plate pivoted in one member, there being a slot in the other member to receive said hook when the cover member is closed upon the box member, and a spring for holding said hook in locked position, said opening providing the only access to said spring.

2. A look for a closure for meters .and the like including a box member and a cover member, one

a spring for holding said hook plate in locked to said spring.

3. A look for a closure for meters and the like including a box member and a cover member, one of the said members having an opening and a frangible element normally closing said opening, said lock including a hook plate pivoted in the box member, there being a slot in the cover memposition, said opening providing the only access ber to receive said hook plate, a portion of the hook plate being arranged to be located in the path of the cover member whereby when" the cover member is closed upon the box member'the hook plate will be turned on its pivot to engage said slot, a lug upon the hook plate, and a spring having a slot arranged to engage said lug to hold the hook plate in locked position, said opening providing the only access to said spring. RICHARD W. GRACE. 

